2009 Annual Meeting - New Orleans

April 18-22, 2009 - New Orleans, LA

John Gearhart, Ph.D.
James W. Effron University Professor
Director, Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Univ. of Pennsylvania

Regenerative Medicine: Learning to Instruct Our Own Cells

Monday, April 20, 5:00-6:00 PM, Room 217/218

Regenerative medicine, the restoration of tissues or cells lost to trauma, disease and wear, will encompass tissue and cell engineering, cell-based interventions, material sciences, artificial and biohybrid organs, and biosurgery. Stem cells are serving not only as a source of cells for therapies (and potential therapies) but also as a source of basic science knowledge that will be utilized in regenerative medicine strategies. To develop safe and effective therapies we must be able to provide instructions to cells to behave and function in a tissue-appropriate manner. These instructions can be provided by pre-conditioning cells, the local tissue environment or through the reprogramming of cells to specific phenotypes. The new platform of directly reprogramming cells through the introduction of sets of genes, small molecules, etc., as illustrated by induced pluripotential cells, is ideally suited for user innovation in that it combines large numbers of users and a technology that has a modular or open design. These design characteristics create a common workbench for user innovators to generate reagents that will be appropriate for regenerative medicine, including direct use in the patient. Also, studies on regeneration, per se, will provide another important source of basic science knowledge that will impact on regenerative medicine.

The hepatic microvascular system includes portal venules and hepatic arterioles, the sinusoids, and central and hepatic venules. The sinusoids are unique exchange vessels lined by: (a) fenestrated endothelial cells (SEC) lacking a basal lamina that have endocytotic and immune functions; (b) phagocytic Kupffer cells (KC) that are sources of mediators for host defense as well as hepatic injury; and (c) stellate cells that are contractile pericytes containing fat droplets that store Vitamin A and produce collagen when activated. Stellate and SEC play a major role in regulating the diameters of sinusoids and the distribution of blood flow in individual sinusoids, lobules, or segments of lobules. The SEC are also a sensitive and early target for hepatic injury. The responses of the hepatic microcirculation to toxicants are of two basic types: (a) an inflammatory response involving paracrine activation of SEC by mediators released from adjacent KC following stimulation by toxicants leading to the upregulation of adhesion molecules and the subsequent adhesion of leukocytes to the SEC, as well as swelling of the SEC, both of which restrict sinusoidal blood flow; and (b) direct injury of the SEC resulting in loss of fenestrae, formation of gaps and penetration of the sinusoidal lining by blood cells. Subsequently, the sinusoid may collapse or disintegrate reducing blood flow.

The Changing Landscape of Anatomical Education: One Opinion on How We Might Increase the Value of Our Stock

Sunday, April 19, 9:00-10:00 AM, Room 217/218

Advances in medicine over the last 25 years have significantly improved the treatment of patients and, perhaps unwittingly, presented unique opportunities to the medical educator. While these advances were the product of medical exigency, they have given medical educators unique innovations to embrace and use to their own advantage. The real question is, are we really integrating clinical concepts, information, or content in our courses? MRI and CT are unique and powerful educational tools that function in parallel with clinical terminology. During the time period in which these methods have become commonplace, there have been repeated efforts to reduce or diminish course content in the anatomical sciences. Have we, as medical educators, allowed this decrease in emphasis to occur by our failure to embrace the very tools and concepts that show the absolute essential value of anatomy in medical education? There are several examples where MRI, CT, or clinical terminology can be used to significant advantage in the basic science setting. First, CT and MRI show anatomy in vivo; such images should be an integral, if not dominant, part of gross anatomy. Second, when teaching cross-sectional anatomy, "laterality" must be taken into account. A cross-section in an "anatomical" orientation that does not match a corresponding MRI or CT is intrinsically flawed. Third, brainstem "anatomy" should be taught to match the "anatomy" in MRI; otherwise clinical correlations are difficult to make and time consuming to explain. Fourth, there are numerous examples where a clinical term can be used to designate an anatomical structure within its proper context.

The discovery that the mutation in the Tg737orpk mouse model of polycystic kidney disease affected assembly of cilia in kidney tubules has fueled new interest in primary cilia. These organelles were first described in 1898 and over the next one hundred years, microscopists documented the presence of these organelles on nearly every cell type in vertebrate organisms. Prior to the work on the Tg737orpk mouse, the function of the primary cilium was controversial with many cell biologists believing them to be vestigial organelles with no function in the modern organism. The idea that primary cilia are vestigial has been soundly disproved as severe defects in primary cilia cause embryonic lethality and milder defects lead to a syndrome of phenotypes including cystic kidney disease, liver cysts and fibrosis, polydactyly, and defects of the mammary gland, heart, pancreas, brain and eye. It is now widely believed that these organelles are cellular antennae that monitor the extracellular environment and feed this information back to the cell to control many aspects of cell physiology including proliferation and differentiation. Recent evidence indicates that cilia are key players in hedgehog and Wnt signaling and so may integrate extracellular signals in the control of these and other signaling pathways.

The formation of a functional enteric nervous system requires the coordination of a complex web of interactions, facilitating the migration, proliferation and differentiation of precursor cells within the gastrointestinal tract. During development, the enteric nervous system is derived from neural crest cells that emigrate from the post-otic hindbrain ("vagal" level) into and along the developing gut. In mice, vagal neural crest cells enter the developing foregut around E9.5 and migrate rostrocaudally in chains to colonise the entire length of the gut by E14.5. The migration of enteric neural crest cells into and along the gastrointestinal tract is a critical process. Failure of neural crest cells to colonize the entire length of the gastrointestinal tract results in a region of the gut that lacks a functional enteric nervous system. In humans, this condition is called Hirschsprung's disease. Our research is focused on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that influence enteric neural crest cell migration into and along the developing gut. We have shown that the migration of enteric neural crest cells is influenced by multiple factors, including: (i) factors that are secreted by the gut mesenchyme, which regulate the entry of neural crest cells into the gut and promote neural crest cell migration along the gut; and (ii) neural crest cell-cell interactions, as we have shown that cell-cell interactions are required for the chain migration of neural crest cells and that changes that altered the equilibrium of these interactions disrupt migration. Together, these studies highlight that enteric neural crest cell migration is a complex process, requiring the integration of multiple factors.

The complex and interconnected structure of a nervous system is largely determined by patterning events during embryonic development. A question that has received little attention in the past is whether the architecture of the nervous system is maintained simply by those factors that have initially patterned the nervous system or, alternatively, whether dedicated mechanisms exist that ensure the sustained integrity of the nervous system. My laboratory has addressed this question in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans whose nervous system architecture is exceptionally well-described on a single neuron level, is largely invariant from animal to animal and can be readily visualized at different developmental and post-developmental time points with the help of fluorescent markers. The nervous system largely develops during embryogenesis when most neurons are born, reach their final positions, establish connections with their targets, and are organized into ganglia and axonal fascicles. However, after hatching, the nervous system of larvae and adults faces a variety of challenges. During larval development, the size of the worm's body increases considerably, as do neuronal structures such as axons. Moreover, tissues underlying certain neuronal structures, such as the hypodermis, are remodeled during larval stages. In addition, the locomotory movements of the worm's entire body, the foraging movements of the head and the pumping movement of the pharynx, which neighbors all major head ganglia, conceivably exert significant pressure on neuronal structures. Conceptually, these sorts of challenges are faced by most nervous systems. Our microsurgical and genetic analysis in C. elegans has revealed that these challenges are met by the employment of dedicated maintenance mechanisms that keep neuronal structures intact. We have found a set of Immunoglobulin-domain containing proteins whose sole function appears to be to ensure the maintenance of positioning of axonal tracts and cell bodies in various regions of the nervous system. These proteins include the C.elegans homolog of the human disease gene L1, several secreted, small Ig domain proteins, a gigantic basement membrane protein, and, surprisingly, also the fibroblast growth factor receptor.

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are the gold-standard pharmaceutical treatment for a number of metabolic bone diseases. Over the past several years, our laboratory has been working to understand the effects of BPs on various aspects of skeletal biology. Through a series of studies, using various animal models, we have established several important treatment effects of BPs including 1) the time-course of changes in microdamage accumulation that result from the bone remodeling suppression effects of BP; 2) the long-term effects of BP treatment on bone biomechanical properties; 3) the effects of BP-treatment on the non-mineral component of bone matrix; 4) the site-specific and BP-specific effects of BP-treatment on bone remodeling suppression; and 5) the role of BPs in a condition known as osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). The goal of this talk will be to summarize these finding with an emphasis on the various morphological techniques used to help elucidate these tissue-level mechanisms of BP treatment.

THE HEPATIC SINUSOID & ITS UNIQUE ENDOTHELIUMChair: Robert McCuskey (Univ. of Arizona College of Medicine)Sunday, April 19, 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, Room 217/218

The hepatic sinusoid is the principal exchange vessel in the liver. Its endothelial lining has a unique structure and multiple functions that affect the liver and whole body function in health and disease. This session will explore what is known about many of the unique morphological and functional features of the hepatic sinusoidal endothelium, including scavenger function, cross-talk with other liver cells, immune functions, and aging.

Times are changing!! Curriculums are becoming integrated, courses are being shortened, and other factors may be influencing how you are going to teach. What's an anatomist to do? At this symposium, experienced educators will provide examples of how they have dealt with the brave new world of anatomy education.

Richard Drake (Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine)
We Can't Teach Everything: Less Can Be MoreDarrell Evans (Brighton & Sussex Medical School Anatomy)
Anatomy Leading the Competition: Variety is the Spice of LifeJeffrey Laitman (Mount Sinai School of Medicine)
Dancing with the Devil? Teaming with Deans to Take Anatomy to a Bold New Future

The four papers in this symposium will address the development of novel and innovative approaches to control the growth and differentiation of stem cells and their derivatives for use in basic research or therapeutic applications. Subject materials include the development of scaffold technology to enhance the growth and survival of cells in three dimensions and to direct the repopulation of tissues undergoing regeneration by the use of such cells. Key factors that can be used to attract and enhance cell survival and cell proliferation will also be addressed as will methods used to trace and monitor the survival of grafted cells used for tissue regeneration in the clinic.

Ketan Patel (Univ. of Reading)
Regulation of Satellite Cell Proliferation & Adult Skeletal Muscle Regeneration by the WNT Family of Signalling MoleculesMolly Shoichet (Univ. of Toronto)
Cell Guidance StrategiesElizabeth James (Univ. of Brighton)
The Clinical Application of Cultured Cells: Are They Permanent or Just an Effective Temporary Dressing?Stefan Przyborski (Univ. of Durham)
Enabling Technology that Allows the Routine Growth of Cultured Cells for Applications in Tissue Engineering

This symposium will focus on the development, function, and immunity of ES cell-derived hematopoietic cells. Invited experts will address different aspects of the derivation process of hematopoietic progenitor cells. This session will highlight the possibilities of establishing embryonic stem cells as a new source of hematopoietic progenitors. We will discuss the new exciting area of induced pluripotent stem cells and challenges facing the field. Lastly, we will tackle the issue of immunity of ES-derived cells and their potential advantages over bone marrow cells.

This session focuses on stem cell plasticity and homing. New information on the paradoxical dynamism of marrow stem cells as they proliferate and differentiate will be presented. The ability of stem cells to alter their phenotype toward lung cells via microvesicles will be discussed, as will the generation of functional humanized liver in sheep by bone marrow cells. A new area of stem cell biology, that of the role of reactive oxygen species in stem cell characterizations will be presented and the very small embryonic-like stem cell will be discussed. This session presents an overview of stem cell plasticity and homing.

The session will introduce the audience to biological properties of adult stem/progenitor cells and the therapies for which they are now being used in patients. The session will address the current paradox in which stem/progenitor cells are found to produce functional improvements in animal models for diseases and in some patients without much evidence of long term engraftment of the cells. The speakers will discuss recent discoveries as to the cellular and mechanisms whereby the cells improve tissue repair in myocardial infarction, defects of the central nervous system and auto-immune diseases.

The session will extend the discussion of the biological properties and potential therapeutic uses of adult stem/progenitor cells. The properties of similar cells from different tissues will be reviewed. More detailed descriptions will then follow on how the cells produce beneficial effects in animal models for lung diseases, heart diseases, and kidney diseases, including some recent trials in which the cells are being tested in patients with kidney diseases.

WORKSHOP: USING FRESH TISSUE TO TEACH ANATOMYCo-sponsored by Antomical Sciences EducationSupported by an educational grant from The American Association of Clinical AnatomistsChair: Noelle Granger (Univ. of North Carolina)10:00 AM-12:00 PM, Room 211/212

In recent years, the use of fresh tissue for the teaching of anatomy has become increasingly popular because of the benefits of learning anatomy from unembalmed cadavers, tissue, and organs and because schools are willing to devote more resources to this effort. There are a number of issues that any anatomy program wishing to use fresh or lightly embalmed tissue will have to consider: procurement, preservation, storage, and disposal, plus how to prevent contamination, how to separate education from sales and infomercial applications in industry-supported events, and how to charge and bill for the use of such tissue.

For most of us, breathing is effortless and something we usually take for granted. But for those who experience breathlessness as a result of acute or chronic respiratory disease, getting enough air into the lungs becomes a daunting reality because healthy cells depend on adequate exchange of vital gases. The components of the lower respiratory system, the larynx, the trachea, and the lungs are important links in the pathway mediating gas exchange. Coordinated function of over 20 cell types found within the walls of the lower respiratory passages provides an environment for effective exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. In addition, these organs contribute to a variety of functions such as air conditioning, vocalization, acid-base balance, and blood pressure regulation.

This symposium will illustrate the use of Hollywood movies to instruct students, faculty, and the general public about a variety of diseases and issues regarding scientific ethics. A presentation on the NIH Science in the Cinema series will describe this educational summer film festival designed to better educate the public about science and illness, where a guest expert discusses the implications of the films shown. Other speakers will describe the use of film to demonstrate effective teaching and interviewing techniques and how films are used to teach issues about scientific ethics of interest to graduate students and research scientists. The session will conclude with a presentation on the use of movies to demonstrate brain diseases to medical and allied health students. Each speaker will use short clips from several movies to illustrate how they are incorporated into their programs and how film drama effectively conveys the impact of specific diseases upon the patient, family, and society.

Bruce Fuchs (NIH Office of Science Education)
NIH & Science in the CinemaMichael Zigmond (Univ. of Pittsburgh School of Medicine)
How to Use Cinema to Teach TeachingBeth Fischer (Univ. of Pittsburgh)
The Use of Commercial Films to Teach EthicsR. Ranney Mize (LSU Health Science Center)
Cinema & Medical Neuroscience

This session presents an innovative online clinical case format for problem-based learning focused on multidisciplinary basic science instruction within a clinical context; a myocardial infarction case demonstrates the self-directed tutorial design. The session also covers content related to cardiac function, including cellular and molecular developmental perspectives, clinical aspects of MI, and stem cell treatment for MI. The tutorial format requires students to view videos of patient/physician history taking and physical examination to learn patient data collection and observe professional patient/physician interactions. Additionally, students are guided through questions that emphasize utilization of basic science information in patient assessment and diagnosis.

Yang Ding (The Univ. of Western Ontario)Valerie Dean O'Loughlin (Indiana Univ.)Robin Marie Hopkins (The Univ. of Western Ontario)Michael Midgley (The Univ. of Western Ontario)Harold Yim (The Univ. of Western Ontario)Aimee Lynn Sergovich (The Univ. of Western Ontario)Christina Lew (The Univ. of Western Ontario)Jiri Brabec (Charles Univ.)

The limbic system is the foundation for discussion of higher order cognitive functions such as motivation, learning and memory, emotion, and homeostasis. Due to the extensive interconnections and structures involved in limbic system function, teaching this topic can be an overwhelming undertaking. The speakers in this symposium will give a general overview of limbic system structures and functions, provide tips and techniques on how to teach this complex topic, and present clinical and research correlates to aid in student understanding of this multifaceted system.

The goal of this symposium is to provide an opportunity for research scientists and educators from all FASEB member societies to come together and discuss how life science education can better reflect the science we practice. As biology research takes more of a systems and conceptual approach, it is important for life science educators to develop, evaluate, and implement new strategies to enhance integrative learning both within and across sub-disciplines. Collaboration across sub-disciplines will facilitate the process of change and help provide broad evidence for effective innovations in education. It is also important that we increase communication between life scientists and cognitive scientists because an understanding of how people learn is essential for the appropriate design and evaluation of new teaching strategies and curriculum. This symposium is a forum for sharing our best ideas on how to improve education and an opportunity to learn about recent research in cognitive science that may help guide changes in life sciences education. Following a summary of some of the latest advances in our understanding of how people learn, a scientist-educator will talk about a successful new interdisciplinary science education initiative, and representatives from NSF, HHMI, and NIH will comment briefly on funding initiatives to support the development of new curriculum and teaching strategies. The session will end with a panel discussion and questions.

Frank Keil (Yale Univ.)
Talk Title TBDKatherine Semsar (Univ. of Colorado)
Bringing Bench Scientists on Board: The CU Science Education InitiativePeter Bruns (HHMI)
Bio 2010 is Almost Here: Are We Responding?Jim Collins (NSF)
Biology in the 21st Century: The Life Sciences in TransitionClifton A. Poodry (NIGMS/NIH)
A Program to Develop the Next Generation of Teacher Scholars

INTEGRATING HISTOLOGY IN THE MEDICAL SCHOOL CURRICULUMChair: Robert Spears (Baylor College of Dentistry)2:30 PM-4:30 PM, Room 211/212

Vascular tissue assembly occurs across wide time-scales and length-scales, with tissue motion and hemodynamics strongly influencing blood vessel pattern formation. Recent experimental biophysical and mechanical data can be used to construct biologically faithful models of vascular morphogenesis. The goal is to integrate vascular bio-complexity by linking sub-cellular, cellular, and tissue level mechanisms. This approach, it is hoped, will eventually lead to dynamic, predictive, computer simulations of tissue vascularization; and the testing of therapeutic agents, in silico.

What are the developmental and genetic mechanisms that lead to the genesis of morphological and physiological diversity between species? This symposium focuses on the use of innovative vertebrate model organisms, including stickleback fish, "Darwin's" finches, bats, and jerboas to address this question. The speakers utilize modern molecular embryological and genetic approaches to investigate the origins of unique traits, including skeleton modifications, beak morphology, limb elongation, and digit reduction. In addition, each speaker combines field studies with bench experimentation, providing an exciting approach for the study of evolution and development.

Understanding anatomy is fundamental to a broad range of scientific endeavor and requires that we be able to visualize structures of interest. Innovations in imaging techniques allow us to study anatomy in new ways and give us the tools to ask new questions. This symposium brings together young anatomists who are using cutting-edge imaging technologies to study respiratory function, cranial development, brain function, and neural connectivity. Our goal is to stimulate interest in these techniques and improve understanding of the research made possible by anatomical imaging. Goals for our participants: Spend some extra time explaining the method; what NEW QUESTIONS are you able to ask by using this method? How can other people take advantage of this method?

Nanotechnology encompasses an increasing number of activities based on the ability to produce, measure, observe, and control matter at the scale of nanometers. The ability to control matter at the nanometer scale is leading to technological advances in many scientific research areas, in particular biomedicine. These advances take advantage of the fact that at the nanoscale, materials have different properties than in macroscopic or bulk form. However, the novel behavior of nanomaterials may also pose risks to human health and environment. Elucidating the fundamental biological processes that are influenced by nanomaterials is critical to harnessing the potential of nanotechnology. In addition, nanoscience and nanobiology aim to understand the properties and structure of complex assemblies of biomolecules, and to transfer this knowledge to rational nanotechnology designs. This symposium will address these emerging research areas by bringing together speakers who are established experts in nanotechnology and nanobiology. Special emphasis will be on interdisciplinary approaches that combine engineering, physical and life sciences, and computational technologies to characterize, produce, and apply nanoscale matters for biomedicine.

This session will help to understand basic principles and applications of tissue fixation, archiving, and retrieval for research in biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, pathology, and other disciplines. Presentations cover formalin and non-formalin fixation techniques, extraction of small amounts of tissues, as well as antigen retrieval for immunocytochemical studies. Both academic and industry scientists will benefit from this symposium.

This year, the Blood Vessel Club will focus on inherited diseases of the vasculature, and how these diseases have shed new light on vascular morphogenesis. Certain Mendelian phenotypes show aberrant branching and/or cross-sectional anatomy of the vessels, indicating strict genetic control of these morphological processes. The genes underlying these phenotypes have shed new light on the biochemical pathways that regulate vascular morphogenesis. Invited talks will be supplemented with short talks chosen from the submitted "blitzes".

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling plays key roles in development and homeostasis. Inappropriate activation of FGF signaling leads to some of the most common congenital syndromes and is also linked to common cancers. Recently, it has become apparent that FGF signaling is key to the regenerative capacity of zebrafish hearts and fins. This symposium brings together a group of dynamic young scientists who collectively will cover their most recent findings in inner ear, limb, and retinal gland development and fin and heart regeneration, illustrating genetic methods for dissecting the developmental and regenerative deployment of FGF signals, and illuminating the use of animal models for mimicking human congenital anomalies.

Suzanne Mansour (Univ. of Utah Human Genetics)
FGF Signaling in Ear DevelopmentXin Sun (Univ. of Wisconsin-Madsion)
The Role of FGFs in Promoting & Termination Limb Bud OutgrowthXin Zhang (Indiana Univ. School of Medicine)
Shp2 Dependent FGF Signaling in Retinal DevelopmentMohammad Hajihosseini (Univ. of East Anglia)
FGF Signaling in the Development and Pathogenesis of Craniofacial Sutures

The Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry (JHC) Plenary Lecture, From Molecules to Men – Molecular Cytogenetics in the 21st Century, will set the stage for this session. The symposium's presenters from academia and industry will cover a wide range of recent technical developments in cytogenetics and their translation into clinical diagnostics. Beginning with the molecular investigation of chromosome structure and the detection and accurate characterization of marker chromosomes, presentations in this symposium will focus on two major applications of molecular cytogenetics in pre-implantation/pre-natal diagnostics in the clinic: array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and routine single cells analysis using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

The brain not only has the ability to use information from each of its sensory modalities independently, but can integrate information from multiple senses to use them synergistically. This latter ability, called multisensory integration can be seen at the single neuron level, and at the level of overt behavior and perception. This symposium will examine this capacity from multiple perspectives. Topics covered include how individual neurons in the midbrain superior colliculus integrate their cross-modal inputs, as well as the behavioral implications of this capacity; the algorithms and presumptive mechanisms used by SC neurons to synthesize their multiple sensory inputs and how these observations can be used to predict the neural product produced by two different sensory cues; how multisensory integration alters human perception; and how multisensory integration is utilized in communication. Of specific interest is the integration of faces and voices.

This session explores the impact of nanotechnology on anatomy, pathology, and medicine; how it leads to a fundamental change of our perceptions of disease, detection, and treatment. The presentations highlight four examples of the key areas of development in cancer detection and treatment, nano-delivery of therapeutics, toxicity, and CNS regeneration.

Elastic fibers are important for the mechanical properties of many vertebrate tissues, and are comprised of polymerized elastin deposited on a network of microfibrils, whose components have important roles in signaling as well as in assembly of the extracellular matrix. In this session, we will explore how different components of microfibrils modulate growth factor and protease activities and impact development, growth, and the responses to injury.

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM & AGINGSupported by an educational grant from The Ellison Medical FoundationCo-sponsored by NAVBOChair: Eduard Dedkov (New York College of Osteopathic Medicine)8:00 AM-10:00 AM, Room 217/218

This symposium will provide a forum for the presentation of research findings evaluating cardiac and vascular aging at the genetic, molecular, cellular, and physiological levels. It will highlight intimate links between the age-associated alterations in the cardiovascular system and the increased risk of cardiovascular diseases with advancing age. Areas for discussion will include: the insight into senescent changes in cardiac stem cells and the mechanisms that are essential to the maintenance of their regenerative function; the use of the Drosophila heart as a model to dissect genetic mechanisms of cardiac aging; and the elucidation of cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie age-associated changes in arterial structure and function to unravel the impact of the "aging process" per se on development of arterial diseases.

Reduced anatomical structures (vestiges and atavisms) share a common significance: they demonstrate the persistence of genes even in the absence of demonstrable functionality. Regarded as identifiable traces of organismal change, vestigial structures have played a prominent role in the development of evolutionary theory. Human structures such as the vermiform appendix, permanent third molar, vomeronasal organ, and ear muscles are examples—all regarded as now degenerate versions of once fully functional anatomy. This symposium revisits the question: why do organisms retain structures of limited or useless function?

Jeffrey Laitman (Mount Sinai School of Medicine)Homo Schlubicus: The End Product of 6 Million Years of Useless Parts Tagging AlongSamuel Marquez (SUNY Downstate Medical Center)
The Meaning of Emptiness: Sinuses & Sacs from Land to SeaHeather Smith (Univ. of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix)
A Never-ending Pain in the ...: That Annoying AppendixThomas Park (Univ. of Illinois at Chicago)
Blind & Naked, But Oh So Cool: The Subterranean World of the Naked Mole Rat

SLEEP & METABOLISM: IT'S MORE THAN JUST WHAT YOU EATChairs:Gloria Hoffman (Morgan State Univ.) & Jessica Mong (Univ. of Maryland School of Medicine)8:00 AM-10:00 AM, Room 214

Recent reports link sleep problems with increased food intake, obesity, and initiation of the metabolic syndrome associated with Type 2 diabetes. But how problems with sleep can alter metabolism is largely unknown. Do all types of sleep problems trigger the same series of events? What role does stress play as a factor in morbidity after sleep deprivation/restriction? Is the increased obesity required for alterations in glucose metabolism? What are the pathways that link sleep to metabolism? Answering these questions provides the focus of our session, integrating basic and clinical studies.

While tissue engineering approaches have historically focused on the role of synthetic biomaterials, a recent shift toward emphasizing the role of the cellular components has brought on some exiting developments, especially in the fields of neurological and vascular tissue engineering. For the nervous system, innovative strategies have arisen to treat peripheral nerves transections and spinal cord trauma. In addition, the combination of tissue engineering with human adult stem cells differentiated into neural cells could be extremely helpful to develop new models to better understand the causes and the pathological process of several neurodegenerative diseases, and even to design new treatments. Engineering the cardiovascular system remains a challenge, but remarkable breakthroughs have been achieved, leading to the first clinical use of an autologous living small diameter human blood vessel. Moving away from the dogmatic requirements for "off-the-shelf" availability and allowing prolonged in vitro maturation periods have allowed the development of tissues with unprecedented mechanical strength and functionality. This symposium brings together investigators involved in the latest development in tissue engineering and stem/progenitor cell biology. Their research areas span from neurons to smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and mesenchymal stem cells. This multidisciplinary panel will highlight the promising future of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

It is tempting to extrapolate studies of development and genetic pathways from a small number of model systems and assume they apply widely across animal taxa. 'Deep homology' is a founding principle of the evo-devo field. Equally, it is well established that anatomical change driven by selection requires modification of developmental pathways over evolutionary time. Examples will be discussed where studies of new or 'wild' model taxa have sometimes confirmed and sometimes challenged what we thought we knew about the morphological developmental biology of animals.

Macrophages have been implicated in various aspects of pathological angiogenesis. For example, they promote collateral growth after artery occlusion, but they also support unwanted tumor angiogenesis. Recently, macrophages were found to regulate physiological angiogenesis. This symposium will highlight new research into the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie macrophage-mediated angiogenesis and contrast the role of macrophages with those of other types of circulating cells. Invited talks will be supplemented with short talks chosen from submitted abstracts.

The cellular vesicular transport/trafficking controls and modulates the way receptor systems function. In recent years, the vascular endothelium has emerged as a tissue/organ where these processes have achieved a high degree of sophistication. This symposium aims to capture the latest advances in our understanding of the influence of vesicular transport on endothelial functions. Short talks from submitted abstracts will be added to the program.

Mechanisms that control anatomical pattern are highly conserved among all animals. Yet these same mechanisms also produce the variations observed during normal development that serve as the material basis for evolution. Further, extremes in variation that arise in conjunction with abnormal development account for many malformations and disease processes. Thus, understanding the molecular and cellular origins of morphological variation is essential for answering a variety of basic and clinical questions. For example, what changes are required in genetic signaling networks to alter the morphology of homologous skeletal elements within and between species of fish? Or, to what extent do variations in facial shape that characterize distinct strains of mice result from differential growth of the facial primordia, and at what point do these growth differences predispose some individuals to malformations such as cleft lip and palate? Research in a variety of model and non-model organisms is beginning to address such questions and reveal processes through which natural selection, teratogens, or other factors can generate divergent morphologies.

Charles Kimmel (Univ. of Oregon)
Evolution & Development of Facial Bone ShapeBenedikt Hallgrimsson (Univ. of Calgary)
Developmental Integration, Canalization & Cleft Lip in A/WySn MicePaul Trainor (Stowers Institute for Medical Research)
Phenotypic Variation in the Etiology and Pathogenesis of Congenital Craniofacial Birth Defects Such as Treacher Collins SyndromeJane Yu (Univ. of California at San Francisco)
Mesenchymal Regulation of Mineralization and Bone Mineral Density in the Jaw SkeletonNathan Young (Univ. of California at San Francisco)
The Relationship between Variable SHH Signaling and the Severity of Structural Defects in the Face and BrainJohann Eberhart (Univ. of Texas at Austin)
Genetics and Environment Interact Synergistically to Modulate Craniofacial Disease Phenotypes

Microvascular remodeling entails a complex coordination of cellular and molecular dynamics. For example, recent work has emphasized a role for stem cells, the importance of mechanical stresses, and even the relationships between angiogenesis and other processes, such as neurogenesis and inflammation. Translating this knowledge to functional tissue engineering and therapeutic design will undoubtedly require integration across spatial and temporal scales. The objective of this symposium will be to highlight experimental and computational systems biology approaches aimed at integrating multiple cellular and molecular interactions for microvascular assembly. The symposium will offer an opportunity to bring together experimentalists, bioengineers, and computational biologists.

Although all vessels share some molecular and cellular characteristics, there are many unique features of particular types of vasculature. Much recent attention has focused on the genetic regulation of these specialized traits. Which factors control the particular origins and physiological roles of the lymphatic vessels? How do arteries become distinct from veins? What drives particular cells to create the endocardial lining of the heart? This symposium will feature a variety of perspectives regarding the specification, morphogenesis, and function of specialized vessels.

During development cells receive cues from their environment that provide directional information and they translate this into cellular and tissue asymmetries. We are just beginning to understand how these cues are translated into changes in cell structure and behavior. For example, the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway has been shown to play a major role in the asymmetric distribution of cells and cellular structures during development. PCP genes were originally identified in Drosophila, but recent studies have identified mammalian homologues. This session will discuss similarities and differences between mechanisms of establishing asymmetries in different developmental processes and across species.